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An historic old Atherton estate, The “Gateway House”, 402 Middlefield (atherton)
402 middlefield rd near glenwood
start time:
9am
QR Code Link to This Post
House" was built in 1902 in an era of large Atherton country estates where wealthy San
Franciscans chose to have their second home.
Lovingly maintained in the original style, the Gateway House was purchased in 1977 by Dr.
William Lee and his wife Ginny Lee. Both were well known philanthropists; Dr. Lee having
received the Mother Theresa award. Ginny, a passionate lover of antiques and one of the
Peninsula's premier antique experts/dealers, stored her beautiful treasures in the house. Now
these treasures are available for sale starting this Friday - Monday 9 am to 4 pm, January 16,
17,18 & 19.
In the summer of 1920, Mrs. William Weir the owner of 402 Middlefield Road, opened the
property for the very first children’s circus in the area. That initial event was grassroots and
charming with local children performing on their ponies and horses including trained animals
doing simple stunts. This was all to raise funds for the Stanford Convalescent Home (today's
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital). The first circus raised about $500 for charity reflecting the
generosity and community-minded spirit of the early Peninsula residents.
After the second and third year, the circus and crowds had grown so much that the original
12.5 acre grounds couldn't adequately hold the crowds and activities. The circus then moved
to land purchased specifically for this purpose which is now the Menlo Circus Club located at
190 Park Lane, Atherton.
The magnitude of this sale is truly beyond belief. It includes Ginny Lee’s highly curated
personal collections and the inventory remaining from her many antique retail venues. This sale
is the first installment of several sales to fully liquidate the contents of this magnificent estate.
Some highlights of the sale to include: original artworks, portrait paintings, 18th, 19th, early
20th century furniture and over 400 pieces of jewelry including primitive and ethic silver jewelry,
Navajo silver and turquoise; hundreds of vintage clothing pieces including vintage Jeanne Marc
over 100 pieces, Rico international Thai silk ethnic wear, Sophie Hong, Jaeger, Eileen Fisher,
lots of cashmere, faux furs…
Parking on the street and in the neighborhood, please be mindful to not block driveways and
other cars; some very limited parking will be available on the property.
Friday - Monday 9 am to 4 pm
January 16, 17,18 & 19
402 Middlefield Road, Atherton
Please bring your own bags and materials to wrap your purchases
Apple Pay, Venmo, cash preferred